Means for regulating the intensity of action of massaging or exercising machines



Feb. 11, 1930. A. D. LUEHRMANN ET AL. 1,746,787 MEANS FOR REGULATING THE INTENSITY OF ACTION OF MASSAGING 0R EXERCISING MACHINES Filed on. 5. 1928 Patented Feb. 11,1930

- UNITED'STATES ALFRED n. LUEHRMANN AND FRANCIS X. MEE AN, on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI MEANS non REGULATING THE INTENSITY or AC ION or MASSAGING MACHINES PATENT OFFICE OR EXERGISING Application filed October 5, 1928. Serial No. 310,509.

The general objectof this invention is to provide novel means for modifying the action of the belt ofan exercising or massaging machine.

There are a number of these machines on the market, and they are all characterized by the same general principle of operation, which is that a pair of arms carrying hooks are rapidly reciprocated in alternation back and forth. Loops on the ends of a canvas or other fabric belt are passed over these hooks, with the result that when the belt is passed over the body of the user, it is moved rapidly back and forth, causing the body to be agitated or massaged. j

While many 01": these machines have adjustable features for reducing or increasing the severity of the action of the belt, the ad- I justment of the machine is not always easy,

especially for women, and cannot be effected while the machine is in use. Some makes of these exercising machines have no means Whatever for adjusting the degree of the agitating action. Many persons have'had operations of one kind or another, leaving the particular part of thebody where the operation" was performed very sensitive; or some part of the degree of the exercising or massaging action of the belt employed to be readily adjusted by verysimple-means andin a very short time, and without the user of themachinehaving toremove the belt from the machine, or even from his body. 2

With the above generalobject in view, our invention consists in applying resilient means to the belt for yieldably drawing 'theend portions ofthe belt, or the portions between the body of the user and the machine, toward each other, which we have discovered operates to very decidedly decreasethe severity of the action of the belt. Adjustments of the degree of agitation can further be secured by positioning the resilient adjusting device at different points in the end. portions thereof, whereby a great range of adjustment in the action of the belt is secured.

In an application filed by us on July 11th, 1928,- Ser. No. 291,864l, we have shown and described and broadly claimed, the use of means for adjusting the end'portions of the belt between the body and the machine toward and from each other to vary the intensity of action of the belt onthe body. This prior invention also discloses and claims, broadly, locating such means at various points in the belt to procure a wide rangeof adjustment of the agitating action. The means illustrated in our prior application for accomplishing this purpose was, in onecase, a chain, and in the other, a mechanical adjusting device. In the case of the present invention, we find agreatimprovement in the character of the agitating action isetlected by employing resilient means, and we preferably use for this purpose a rubberband connected at its ends to the sides of the belt,

or else acoil spring, similarly positioned.

In the accompanying draw1ng- Figure 1 is a sectional view taken on the line 1-1 'ofFig. 2; a

Figure 2 is a plan view of an exercising belt with a rubber band shown connected to the two sides of the belt; i a Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2; I I

Figure 4 is a plan view on an enlarged scale showing one ofthe socket members for receiving the head of the rubber band;

Figure 5 is a view similarto Fig. 2, butshowing the use of a coil spring instead of a rubber band; a

Figure 6 is aplan view on an enlarged scale showing one end of the coil spring and an eye into which a hook on the end of the spring is secured; and i j V I Figure 7 is a side view slightly in perspecgn w tive illustrating the manner of using the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates an exercising belt which, as previously stated, may be made of canvas and which is provided at each end with a loop2, which loops are adapted to be passed over the hooks 3 (Fig. 7 of an exercislng machine 4. When the belt is passed around the body in the manner illustrated in Fig. 7, and the machine placed in eration, the hooks 3, vibrating rapidly in a ternation, will cause the belt 1 to be drawn rapidl back and forth on the body of the user, pro ucing a more or less violent agitation of that portion of the body to which the belt is applied, depending upon the degree of severity of the vibrating action employed; We will now describe the means which we employ for regulating the severity of theaction of theiexercisin belt.

The numerals5, 6 and 7 ig. 2) indicate, respectively, corresponding sets of socket members secured in the end portions of the beltl at corresponding distances from the ends thereof. That is to say, the corresponding socket members are located at a comparativel short distance from the respective ends of t e belt, the socket members 6, at a greater distance, and the socket members 7, at the reatest distance from the ends of the belt. s shown by Fig. 4, each of the socket members 'comprisesa circular body portion Shaving a recess '9 formed therein, a bottom 10, and a slot 11 formed in the front side of the body portion. A ertured flanges 12 project from each sideo the body portion 8. In applying the socket member to the belt, a metal plate 13 of the length of the socket member is applied to the outside of the belt, and rivets 14 are passed through the apertured flanges 12 and corresponding apertures in the plate 13.

The numeral 15 indicates a rubber band which-is of substantial thickness, such as to require considerable pulling strain to extend it,-.a.nd on each end of this band is provided a head 16 which is of a size to fit snugly in the corresponding recess 9 of a socket membet. The rubber band 15 is, of the same width .8 theybelt Land when its heads 16 are posi- .gleeofvibration effective on thebody by removing-the-rubber band from oneset of socket members and securing it in a set of soeket'members further away or nearer to the body ofthe user,.as the case may be. when therubber band is placed in the socket members 7, the degree of agitation is considrl elablyaleas' thamapplieswhen the band is positioned in the central set of socket members 6, and the same relative difference exists between the socket members 6 and the socket members 5 as respects the degree of agitation.

In addition to drawing the end portions of the belt toward each other, which in and of itself causes a decrease in the severity of the action of the belt, the use of resilient connecting means for this purpose produces a decided change in the quality of the vibration. which is also in the direction of rendering the action less harsh or severe, and such resilient means also enables the user to automatically secure a wide range of variation in the character or degree of vibration by the simple act of pressing the body outwardly more or less firmly against the exercising belt. This action tends to stretch the rubber band and to separate the end portions of the belt, which will increase the severity of the action; but even when the body is pressed outwardly against the belt with the maximum amount of power, the agitating action of the belt will still be less severe than if the rubber connecting the band were not employed. It is thus possible for one to automatically regulate the degree of the massaging action by simple pressure of the body on the belt.

In Fig. 5, we have shown a modification in the resilient means employed for connecting the end portions of the belt, which consists in the employment of a coil spring 17 in place of the rubber band 15. Various means for enablin this coil spring to be connected in adjusted positions on the belt may be utilized. A simple means, and the one which we prefer, is illustrated on an enlarged scale in Fig. 6, in which the spring 17 is provided at each end with a spring hook 18, and each side of the belt is provided with eyes 19 into which these books maybe inserted. As shown, we employ three of these eyes, 19, 20 and 21, corresponding to the socket members 5, 6 and 7 of Fig. 2, and the sprin 17 can be secured in corresponding sets of tiese eyes, as will be understood.

.We wish it understood that while we have shown the best known means of carrying out our invention, we do not wish to be limited to the precise forms of the invention illustrated, as we recognize that other characters of resilient connecting means than those illustrated, and other ways of securing the ends of such resilient connecting means to the belt, could be employed, without departing from the spirit of our invention.

VVo claim:

1. In combination with an exercising belt having an engaging member at each end for attachment to-a massaging machine, resilient means carried by and connected with the belt for drawing opposite side portions of the belt between the body and the ends connected to the machine toward each other to vary the intensityof action of thebelt on the body.

2. In combination with an exercising belt having an engaging member at each end for attachment to a massaging machine, resilient means carried by and detachably connected with the belt for drawing opposite side portions of the belt between the body and the ends connected to the machine toward each other to vary the intensity of action of the belt on the body, and a plurality of means on said belt to permit the resilient means to be adjustably positioned on the belt.

3. In combination with an exercising belt having an engaging member at each end for attachment to a massaging machine, a rubber band having its ends connected to corresponding parts of the opposite sides of the belt between the body and the ends connected to the machine.

4. In combination with an exercising belt having an engaging member at each end for attachment to a massaging machine, a rubber band having its ends detachably connected to corresponding parts of the opposite.

sides of the belt between the body and the ends connected to the machine.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands. 1

ALFRED D. LUEHRMANN. FRANCIS X. MEEHAN. 

